Vacuum fuel-feed tank



Aug. 16,1927. 1,639,181

-- W. E. HART VACUUM FUE'L'FEED TANK Filed Nov. 10, 1924 FIGURE 1 2 FIGURE I FIGURE 3 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,639,181 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. HART, or NEAR, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

VACUUM FUEL-FEED TANK.

' Application filed November 10, 1924. Serial Nb. 749,076.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a vacuum fuel feed tank inwhich the discharge chamber is supplied with warm air under pressure from the engine fan whereby to raise the temperature of the fuel oil therein and thereby render it more easily carbureted and also tospeedup the closing of certain valves when the supply chamber is being filled from the supply I tank by suction from the engine.

It is another object to provide a positive automatic valveless control of the fuel flow from the supply chamber to the discharge chamber. a a

It is still another object to provide an effective means for preventing overflow from the discharge chamber. I

Finally it is an object to provide a device of few parts simple in construction, economical to manufacture, easily and quickly assembled and disassembled, and highly eflicient in its practical application.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an illustration of the device 35 as connected to an engine and showing its position relative to the engine fan.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section through the device.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section 30 through the device at right angles to the section shown in Figure 2. g

Figure 4 is a section on line H of Figure 2. I

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I show at '1 a discharge chamber having a drainage petcock at 2 and an outlet to the carburetor at 3. At a is a plate fitting snugly over the entire top of the chamber 1- and depressed at its center as at 5, this depression being covered with a screen 6. Threaded into the bottom of depression 5 is a depending tube 7 having an outlet at 8 controlled a flap valve 9. I At 10 is shown a small tube communicating with chaiiiber 1 and extending upwardly a distance as shown and open at its upper end.

At 11 is shown the fuel supply chamber provided with a bottom flange 12 whereby it is secured to plate 1 and chamber 1 by screws 13, thereby binding'these three parts together as one integral whole. a 7

G11 the exterior of chamber 11 is formed a pressure chamber 1%, closed at its upper end and thereby enclosing the tube 10 eX- cept at its lower end where it is provided with an opening 15. The cross-sectional area of chamber 1 is considerably larger than that of tube 10 whereby to receive the air thrown back across the engine 16 by fan 17 and introduce it into the chamber 1 at is a slightly higher than normal pressure.

The upper end of chamber 11 is fitted with an inlet pipe 18 from the fuel tank not shown. I also provide a conduit 19 extending from the upper end of chamber 05 11 down through the bottom thereof into chamber 1 and thence through tube 7 to a point 20 where its opening is opened and closed at times by flap valve 9 at the same time the said valve opens and closes outlet It 8 on pipe 7.

In the chamber 11 is placed a float 21 moving fr'eelyup. and down on rod 22. On the upper end of rod 22 is placed a valve 23 operating on valve seat 24L and therefore 7 opening and closing the conduit 25 which communicates with the manifold 26 of engine 16. On rod 22 between valve 23 and float 21 is a coiled spring 27.

On the lower end of rod 22 are spaced nuts23, a 'coiled spring 29 being placed on rod 22 between the upper nut 28 and float 21.

At 30 I show a bracket on the wall of chamber 11, and on this bracket is pivoted asat 31 and an arm 3;. A coiled spring 33 is attached to'arm 32 and to the base of bracket 30 as shownin such a manner as to snap the arm 32 up or down as the case may be as itpasses the central neutral point on pivots 31 through pressure from rod 22. The upward swing of arm 32 is limited by the seating of valve 23 in seat 2 1 and its downward swing is. limited by a finger 34 extending outwardly from bracket 30.

In use the device is fastened upon the body of the machine 35 by a strap 36 with the opening 15 in chamber 14: facing the engine 16 so that the operation of fan 17 keeps the pressure in chamber 1 slightly above normal and also slightly, increases its ice temperaturewhereby to render it more easily carburet'ed. 1

Assuming the fuel level to be at 37incham berl' and the engine running, the fuel level will gradually lower to 38 whereupon air from chamber 1 is permitted to enter tube 19 and pass upwardly therethrough to the uDDer part of chamber 11. This introduction ofair into chamber 11 allows a little of the fluid to flow through tube 7 into discharge chamber 1 to replenish that used by the engine. In this manner the fuel is fed into chamber 1 as needed and yet it is impossible for the chamber to overflow. This perfect control of the fuel flow to chamber 1 is effected without the use of valves or mechanical controls of any kind.

l/Vhen the float settles down upon spring 29 it gradually compresses it until the arm 32 is forced downwardly past its neutral balanced point and the action of spring 33 snaps the arm 32 downwardly and throws valve 23 open.

The moment valve 23 opens and the suction from the manifold 26 reduces the air pressure in chamber 11 the flap valve 9 is closed and the tubes 7 and 19 shut off from communication with chamber 1. This action of valve 9 is instantaneous because the suction in chamber 11 is communicated to valve 9 through air tube 19 and because as long as there is suction through chamber 11 the air pressure in chamber 1 is abnormally high and consequently the difference in air pressures on both sides of valve 9 is materially increased.

The fact that the chambers are separable in the center is of material advantage because it permits making the device in three main parts.

The chamber 11. carries the tube 10 which is soldered thereto and which passes through plate 4 and into chamber 1 with a sliding engagement. This chamber also carries the upper portion of pipe. 19 which is soldered in position on plate 4. This chamber also carries the float 21, valve 23 and all the parts cooperating therewith.

The plate 4 carries the lower end of pipe 19 as described, also the valve 9 and screen 6.

The lower chamber carries none of the small parts and may be permanently mounted on the automobile body and connected to the carburetor.

If any of the parts need adjusting or repairing it is only necessary to disconnect pipes 18 and 25 and loosen screws 13, whereupon with the parts mounted thereon, and the plate a may be lifted out with its screen and valve structure.

The formation of plate 4t permits the use of a screen 6 having a large superficial area whereby the fuel oil is properly screened without danger of clogging as where a small screen is used in or over a small size tube.

t'is to be understood, of course, that while I have herein shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention, changes in form, construction and method of operation may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

the chamber 11 may be lifted off 1 claim:

1. A device of the character indicated comprising a fuel discharge chamber, a fuel supply chamber arranged thereover, a conduit communicating with the bottom of said supply chamber and extending into said discharge chamber, an air supply to said discharge chamber, a float operated valve controlled suction outlet from said supp'ly chamber, a conduit extending from the upper portion of said supply chamber to the desired normal liquid level in said discharge chamber and having an opening in its lower end 'lying in the same plane as the discharge opening in said first mentioned conduit, and a normally open valve operatively positioned with relation to said conduits and actuated to close the same by reduction in air pressure in said second mentioned conduit below the air pressure in said discharge chamber.

2. A device of the character indicated comprising a fuel discharge chamber a fuel supply chamber arranged thereover, a conduit communicating with the bottom of said supply chamber and extending into said discharge chamber, an air supply to said discharge chamber, a float operated valve con trolled suction outlet from said supply chamher, and a conduit communicating with the upper portion of said supply chamber and the desired normal liquid level in said discharge chamber, and means actuated by air suction through said last mentioned conduit for closing both of said conduits.

3. A device of the character indicated comprising a fuel discharge chamber, a fuel supply chamber arranged thereover, a con duit communicating with the bottom of said supply chamber and extending into said discharge chamber an air conduit communicating with said discharge chamber and pro jecting therefrom, a hood arranged thereover, a float operated valve controlled suction outlet from said supply chamber, and a conduit extending from the upper portion of said supply chamber to the desired normal liquid level in said discharge chamber.

l. In a device of the character indicated including a fuel supply chamber and a discharge chamber, and means for discharging fuel from the supply chamber to the discharge chamber in predetermined quantities, a valve controlled suction port, a vertically positioned stem connected to the valve. a float slidably mounted on the stem, a bracketmounted on said supply chamber, an arm pivotally mounted. on said bracket, a re silient connection between said arm and bracket, and resilient elements inserted between said float and arm and said float and valve.

/VlLLIAM E. HART. 

